One of the most common methods of delivering medications to a patient (usually in a hospital setting, but sometimes elsewhere) is using an intravenous (IV) method in which a needle is inserted into either a peripheral vein (usually the arm) or a central vein (e.g. superior or inferior vena cava). The use of peripheral veins is much more common. Typically, the medication to be delivered is contained in a bag. The nurse or other caregiver hangs the bag on a support unit, typically referred to as an IV pole. The typical prior art IV pole consists of a base support having a 5-star shape, i.e. five bars extending outward radially from a centre, with a caster at the end of each bar. An example of this configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,323 to David. The bars are typically evenly angularly distributed about 360 degrees. A vertical shaft is typically attached at the centre of the 5-star frame, and extends upward, terminating approximately six-and-a-half to seven feet (between 198 centimetres and 214 centimetres) above the floor. At or near the top of the shaft, the prior art IV pole has one or more hangers extending horizontally to hold bags of medication.
In some cases, the bag of medication is simply connected via a drip mechanism and tube to a needle that has been inserted into the vein of the patient, and the rate of medication delivery is dictated by gravity. However, in recent years, it has become more common to use infusion pumps to precisely control the delivery rate of the medication, and the total amount delivered. In the prior art configuration, the pump is clamped to the shaft that extends upwards from the 5-star base. The pump, which is sometimes fairly heavy, is connected to the medication bag and is set in a manner that allows it to control the rate of infusion and the total amount of medication delivered.
In the prior art configuration, the hangers for receiving bags of medication are positioned high off the ground. The reason for this is that, with the bags hanging down, it is desirable not to create any obstructions, where people may, while walking past the IV pole, bump into the bags. Also, because the infusion of medication into the patient relies partly on gravity, placing the bag high off the floor is beneficial because doing so creates more gravitational potential energy.
However, this configuration creates a problem. Specifically, it is hard for many people of average or below-average height to reach the hangers in order to hang bags of medication on the IV pole, or remove hanging bags from the IV pole. In particular, most caregivers who hang IV bags are women, and as compared to men, these women are shorter on average. For women who, for example, are between 150 and 163 cm in height, reaching the hangers to hang medication bags on them can be nearly impossible without standing on a chair or some other piece of furniture.
Even when the hangers for the medication bags are not out of reach, the caregivers, almost inevitably, need to lift the medication bags over their heads. The bags of medication can weigh as much as 4.5-7 kg (10-15 lbs), and a caregiver may need to load such bags on IV poles up to 30-50 times per shift. As a result, caregivers are prone to soreness, strain and injury to arms, neck and shoulders.
Another common problem with the prior art IV pole is that it can be quite difficult to attach a pump to the pole shaft. The pumps are quite heavy and usually need to be held with two hands, with the result that it is difficult to manipulate both the IV pole and the pump to allow the pump to be clamped to the shaft.
Another problem with the prior art IV pole is that it is unstable and susceptible to tipping, particularly, but not solely, as a result of incidental contact between the IV pole and other objects.
Yet another problem that has been found to exist with the prior art IV pole is that it often presents a tripping hazard. Specifically, it is common for patients who require constant connection to an IV pole to walk around pushing the IV pole with one hand. However, it has been found that patients too often inadvertently strike their feet against the X-shaped support base of the prior art IV pole while walking, thus creating a tripping hazard.